Crab Soup

I've never made crab soup before and lately I've been thinking about making it for the first time. Since the hubs is deployed, and he tends to not prefer soup, I decided I'd go ahead and make it before he comes home. This is a Paula Deen recipe and I chose to lighten it with half-and-half and fat free milk, which I what I normally have on hand. I also had to substitute the fish stock for chicken stock - definitely couldn't find (or make) fish stock here. Reviewers recommended clam juice as a substitute, but I couldn't find that either. Other than that, this was pretty good! I used a 1 pound can of crab meat, as the recipe states, and there is a ton of crab in each bite! If crab happens to be a bit expensive for your budget, I'm sure using half of it would still be enough. And best of all - this was a breeze to make, only taking a few minutes. It definitely tastes like much more effort was put into this dish, and I love any recipe that is like that - makes me pretend that I can actually cook! The verdict? An easy, must try dish that is sure to impress.

Crab Soup

Serves 8

3/4 cup chopped green onion, with tops

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1/2 stick butter

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups fish stock

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup milk

1 pound crabmeat, picked free of shells

1/4 cup sherry

1/2 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon white pepper

1 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

1/2 cup chopped fresh chives

Sauté chopped green onion and garlic in butter until tender. Stir in flour, stirring until well blended. Slowly add 2 cups of the fish stock, continuing to cook until smooth and bubbly. Slowly add cream and milk. Stir in crabmeat. Add sherry, lemon-pepper seasoning, salt and white pepper. Simmer until piping hot; adjust seasoning (sherry, salt, and pepper), to taste. Serve in bowls topped with cheese and chives.